Network Rail Infrastructure is proposing to pay bonuses worth £1.7m to its directors (The bonus now arriving is only slightly delayed, 4 July), despite the fact that in April this year the company was fined £4m after the 2007 Grayrigg derailment disaster. The director's emoluments were only reduced by about half this amount (£1.9m, according to the table on page 48 of the company's annual report published last month) following this event. The rest of the fine was presumably picked up by the travelling public since Network Rail has no shareholders. What's more, it has not been the only fine. The annual report mentions several others, in addition to that linked to Grayrigg, but does not give a complete list.

There should be a law requiring all company directors to pay any fines imposed by the courts for negligence since otherwise they just pass them on to their customers, and absolutely no bonuses should be paid in any years in which such fines are imposed. Why has the rail regulator not safeguarded the public in respect of this and any other fines imposed on Network Rail?Dr Richard TurnerHarrogate, North Yorkshire